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Energy: 6 million tonnes of oil equivalent saved in five years, a figure now closer to the national target

Milan, April 14, 2010

Italian version

Six million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) were saved in less than five years as a result of the energy efficiency certificate or 'white certificate' mechanism. It is as if every year the consumption of nearly 1.6 million household consumers were equal to zero or as if a thermal power plant with a capacity of 700 MW discontinued its operation, thereby avoiding, as a whole, the emission of 16 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

These results were published in the Midterm statistical report on the energy efficiency certificate mechanism posted on the Authority's website www.autorita.energia.it, which reports information on the energy savings certified by the Authority and, in particular, the interventions for the promotion and dissemination of energy efficiency implemented in the Italian regions until 31 December 2009.

The highest levels of energy efficiency were recorded in Lombardy, i.e. more than 754 thousand toe saved, Latium and Tuscany - with savings of 628 thousand and 581 thousand toe respectively - followed by Emilia-Romagna (484 thousand toe), Piedmont (447 thousand toe) and Campania (418 thousand toe).
The highest savings were obtained in domestic lighting, through the replacement of traditional light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, the purchase of high-efficiency electrical appliances, the interventions for public lighting and the installation of more efficient conditioning and heating systems.

The Report also suggests a constant increase of savings obtained in the industrial sector, although the major beneficiaries of the mechanisms were invariably households, among whom the majority of interventions were carried out.

"Please note", said Mr. Alessandro Ortis, President of the Energy Regulatory Authority, "that the six million toe saved in less than five years make the national energy saving target fixed by the Italian Government of 6.5 million toe for the period 2005-2009 closer." "White certificates," added Mr Ortis, "have therefore once again proved to be a flexible, effective and inexpensive market instrument and form of incentive, which significantly contributes to the improvement of efficiency in the final uses of energy and, therefore, the achievement of European Targets on Climate Change". 

The system of white certificates has also generated positive results in terms of reduced charges on final consumers' bills. Against incentives worth nearly 317 million euro disbursed by the Authority between 2005 and 2009, the energy cost avoided by households (among whom the majority of interventions were carried out) is estimated at 6 to 15 times the cost of such incentives per energy unit saved.

In addition, each tonne of oil equivalent whose saving is certified by the issue of energy efficiency certificates implies for Italy an economic saving estimated between 118 and 587 euro - in line with the achievement of national targets envisaged in the context of the European Climate Package.

In order to ease the implementation of the mechanism and improve access to white certificates by companies, the Authority is now devising simplified methodologies. Concurrently, the Authority has progressively introduced more stringent quality requirements for projects while bearing in mind - among other issues - a number of criticalities found during the inspections performed over the last few years.

SAVINGS OBTAINED IN THE ITALIAN REGIONS, IN THOUSAND TOE

LOMBARDY	754,627
LATIUM	628,121
TUSCANY	581,647
EMILIA-ROMAGNA	484,505
PIEDMONT	447,184
CAMPANIA	418,284
VENETO	304,198
APULIA	286,750
SICILY	246,452
CALABRIA	213,498
ABRUZZO	141,722
UMBRIA	134,244
MARCHES	118,622
LIGURIA	84,338
FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA	84,106
TRENTINO-ALTO ADIGE	70,281
SARDINIA	62,710
BASILICATA	57,886
MOLISE	31,522
VALLE D'AOSTA	4,268